Western officials expressed concern on January 27, 2026, that Chinese President Xi Jinping's purge of General Liu Zhenli, removed over the weekend, has eliminated a key military contact point, potentially increasing risks with Beijing, according to a Bloomberg report shared by journalist Alex Wickham at 7:16 PM UTC during the 59-minute reporting window from 6:45 PM to 7:45 PM UTC. General Liu Zhenli, 61, who oversaw day-to-day People's Liberation Army operations, had been the most effective contact for managing risks and preventing miscalculation, Western officials stated anonymously to Bloomberg. Liu met representatives from the US, Australia, and Britain in recent months, keeping channels open unlike other senior Chinese officials. The purge of Liu, following that of more senior General Zhang Youxia, drew less public attention but raised immediate concerns, the officials said. They noted Liu's removal could make Chinese military officials and diplomats warier of Western contacts, fearing similar fates, and complicate Beijing's military planning, including any potential Taiwan operations. No official statements from Chinese authorities confirmed the purge or addressed its implications during this period, per the monitored Bloomberg report via X. This development occurs amid prior unverified social media claims of PLA deployments around Beijing's Forbidden City, debunked by Chinese state media earlier on January 27 regarding Weibo accounts, as reported in previous windows.
